The Minnesota Timberwolves grabbed a big home victory against Utah after falling in the season opener to San Antonio, now sitting at 1-1 in the first week of basketball. Here is what to look for, who to watch and the big storylines in week two of the NBA season.
Timberwolves Schedule In Week Two –
Oct. 22 at Oklahoma City Thunder
Oct. 24 vs Indiana Pacers
Oct. 25 at Detroit Pistons
Oct. 27 vs Oklahoma City Thunder
1. The Jimmy Butler/Andrew Wiggins combo. While the new team needs time to get on the same page, the offense of Wiggins and Butler seems to be months ahead of everything else. Butler always has a read on Wiggins, whether he is slashing to the basket or stalking the perimeter. Wiggins has done a good job rotating off Butler’s movement and pairing with his playmaking to find the open space he creates.
2. Consistency from Jeff Teague. He posted 11 points against San Antonio and 10 against the Utah Jazz. While neither game has been up to snuff with his $19 million per year salary, his second still earned him crunch time minutes. Tyus Jones does need to be developed, but the starting point guard losing crunch time minutes in a close game to Jones is concerning. In order to stay in Tom Thibodeau’s good graces, Teague will need to start hitting the open threes set up by his teammates, and finish at the rim. His contract is a big one, and there are expectations behind that dollar figure.
3.Timberwolves Tenacity. The Timberwolves outscored the Jazz in the first three quarters and looked to be in control for most of the game. However, there were stretches that the Jazz took the game to the Timberwolves, most notably the trio of triples in 90 seconds from Rodney Hood. They weathered that, and other runs from the Jazz. Now, they will need to hang tough against Russell Westbrook and the Thunder. How this team will respond to a punch in the mouth will tell a lot about this team’s growth.
4. Wiggins Mental Growth. The Wolves’ – small sample size – leading scorer has looked great on the offensive side of the floor and his defense is a growing process that will come to him. But something he can do to play better right away is keep from making the silly mistake. A perfect example is foul that sent Ricky Rubio to the line with seconds left against the Jazz. In another instance, he was caught with a handful of Derrick Favors’ jersey on a cut to the basket, giving the Jazz a free throw to cut the game to one possession. Those are rookie mistakes from a 4-year man and they cannot happen.
5. The Timberwolves Bench Impact. Jamal Crawford looked great in game two, putting up 17 points along with the game winner. In both games, the bench has looked solid, with 26 points in game one and 32 in game two. They will need to continue to show up if they are going to hang with the Thunder this week.
6. Giannis Antetokounmpo Stock Watch. In three games, the Greek Freak has entered into early MVP conversation. He has been a monster, already rising beyond the sky-high expectations from the offseason for his improvement. He is making the Bucks go from good to great with his exceptional two-way talent, and looks to be going hard for a top playoff spot in the East.
7. De’Aaron Fox Roster Spot. Fox has outplayed George Hill in every game for Sacramento. Hill has averaged 29 minutes per game, with 2.7 rebounds, two assists and four turnovers per game. Fox only get 26.3 minute per game but has five rebounds, 5.3 assists and only 2.3 turnovers in his time on the court. He also has player efficiency of 12.4 to Hill’s 9.7. It’s early, and Kings head coach Dave Joerger said he wants to bring Fox had a shot at the starting job, but it looks like the rookie is going places.
8. Are The Clippers For Real? The Los Angeles Clippers beat up on the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix to start the season red hot. While both teams are young and play terrible defense, the Clippers looked tough off the glass and great in transition. There is something to be said for really taking it to a team you are supposed to beat, which is what the Clippers did. Time to see if All-Star Blake Griffin can continue to lead this team to wins without Chris Paul.
9. Can Portland Stay Balanced? The Portland Trail Blazers averaged 116 points in their opening three games. But the 2-1 start has required neither Damian Lillard nor C.J. McCollum to have crazy games in the stat sheet. They received great effort from bench players like Evan Turner and Pat Connaughton, both averaging double digits in scoring thus far. It’s taken pressure off the starters, and gives the Trail Blazers a new look that does not require its two stars to score 40 points a night.
10. Chicago Continues To Get Worse. The Chicago Bulls average 88.5 points per game, last in the league. On the defensive side, the Bulls defensive net rating is less dismal, only giving up 103.9 points per 100 possessions. Still, they have no scoring and might not find any until the return of Zach LaVine. This is going to be a very long Bulls season.
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